Jodie Prenger, a well-known stage actress, will make her television debut on Friday, August 5, playing bartender Glenda Shuttleworth on Rovers Return.
Glenda, George’s (Tony Maudsley) sister, makes an impressive debut on the program. She arrives in Weatherfield following a stint on a cruise ship and quickly lands a job behind the bar.
The character is sure to make people laugh and have some fun on the cobblestones, but who is Jodie Prenger and where have you seen her before?
What you should know about the actress is as follows:
Jodie Prenger: Who is she?
Jodie, a 43-year-old native of Blackpool, is a well-known actress who has appeared on stages across the nation and in London’s West End.
She became well-known after winning the 2008 BBC One competition series I’d Do Anything, in which hopefuls vied to play Nancy in a West End revival of Oliver.
Jodie had to compete against the show’s runner-up, Jessie Buckley, who is now well-known in her own right as an Oscar-nominated actress, as well as Samantha Barks, who later made an appearance in the Les Miserables movie.
She has since gone on to play the lead role of Kelly in the world premiere of Kay Mellor’s musical Fat Friends as well as other touring productions of Spamalot, Annie (in which she played Miss Hannigan), the West End smash One Man Two Guvnors, and Shirley Valentine.
Additionally, she played Helen in the National Theatre’s production of A Taste of Honey, which was influenced by watching early Coronation Street episodes.
She has appeared on television in shows like Candy Cabs, This Morning, The Alan Titchmarsh Show, and Waterloo Road.
What can we expect from Glenda?
Iain MacLeod, the show’s executive producer, predicted that the new character, Glenda, would be a lot of fun: “Glenda sails in fresh from the cruise ships with a whiff of the exotic, quickly making best friends and enemies in equal measure.”
The character is hilarious and reminds me of vintage Coronation Street women. We are all thrilled to have Jodie on board because she is a fantastic talent. She immediately felt like a Corrie character when she arrived on set, and I believe that viewers will adore her.
To be a part of something my family and I have loved for so long, Jodie has added that she is thrilled to have joined the soap opera. What a character, too, oh.
I must say, it was like a dream. I’m eager for you all to meet George Shuttleworth’s sister Glenda, who is witty and sassy.
“What a fella, Tony Maudsley, I already adore him!” One of the most nerve-wracking experiences you’ll have is your first day on the cobbles, and everyone was just so incredibly lovely, welcoming, and gracious. It was and still is everything I had hoped for.
